The Guardian of Faith
by Tyla and Bet
Summary: As she fell, fell into nothingness, the Moon stared down at her in pity and wonder, as if he was expecting her to do a tremendous backflip and land on her feet. The day she died. The hard, pebbled ground was grinding against her back. She didn't want to wake up-she was too tired. Her body was aching and her head was throbbing. All she could notice was the Moon.
1. Tale of Tessara

**I do not own Rise of the Guardians. Though I do own this short story here and Tessara.**

This is a tale I am going to tell you before the story.

Every day, we hope. The hope is like a warm fire lit in a heart of a fireplace. And everyday, Tessara helps it grow. She helps the flame grow bigger.

Children laugh, children play. But they grow up and forget and stop believing. But while they're young, they must keep themselves connected and still believing to the Guardians... and the spirits.

Tessara was a Guardian once, the Guardian of Faith. She would keep the Guardians safe and together when people stopped believing.

When the Moon decided that the Guardians didn't need Tessara's help anymore, he didn't care much about her. Children stopped believing in the Tessara that helped spark faith. Faith in the Guardians.

Then Pitch Black came.


	2. Chapter 1

The Moon.

As she fell, fell into nothingness, the Moon stared down at her in pity and wonder, as if he was expecting her to do a tremendous backflip and land on her feet.

The day she died.

* * *

The hard, pebbled ground was grinding against her back. She didn't want to wake up-she was too tired. Her body was aching and her head was throbbing. All she could notice was the Moon. The Moon glistened in the night sky, as if he knew a secret that she didn't. The ground shook slightly.

She groaned and sat up. In the cold breeze, strangely, her hand was warm. Really warm.

_Tess._

She sat up alert, and looked around to see who had said that. The voice was strangely soft and beautiful, and she recognized the voice. It was something she'd always heard... Somewhere not here.

The white noises covered her thoughts. The insects chirped loudly, and the leaves rustled.

"Who said that?" She yelled. Her voice...

_My name is Tess._

She realized it was her voice. She was talking to herself... Her name was Tess. Tessara.

Tess walked across the small park, as she realized where she was now. Four small, cold wooden benches created a circle around the water fountain. Tess ran a hand through the water and surprisingly, it turned warm. Tess smiled and walked around the fountain.

It was now warm.

* * *

**Santa's Office**

The globe in the room was shining with lights. The seven continents shined with sparkle. Each child's light was as bright as...

The lights started to flicker.


	3. Chapter 2

_The lights started to flicker._

* * *

"Thank you all for coming."

Tooth didn't pay attention. She chattered away to her little fairies as they ran errands for teeth and flew away. She was never not busy.

Jack Frost, in the other hand, was confused.

"What's this all about?" Jack asked.

Sandy made a guess, shifting thousands of sand pictures in his head, as if he was trying to interpret what was going to happen. Sadly, no one understood what he was trying to say.

North tried to interpret it. "Children are starting to lose Faith in us." He said. "Pitch is getting stronger."

"What?" Bunny exclaimed. "I thought we defeated that bloke!"

Jack winced. "Pitch promised revenge." He reminded Bunny._  
_

North nodded with a worried expression on his face, and now Tooth was listening, too.

Sandy looked up at the window and gasped. The moon was glowing blue. The shadow of the glow rest on the floor of the room, and Sandy tapped North's shoulder.

North look up, and Sandy pointed to the Man in the Moon.

The glow moved to a circle on the ground, and it rose, showing a blue crystal in the moonlight. The blue crystal shined.

"This is..." Jack muttered.

"A new guardian." Tooth finished. Sandy nodded, as he made a sand image of a carved pumpkin on his head.

"Halloween?" Tooth guessed for Sandy.

A silhouette became more clear in the crystal-an image of a young girl. She had a slight wave in her hair and wore a t-shirt and shorts, as if the possibly cold weather didn't bother her at all.

"Who's that?" Jack asked.

"You wouldn't know." Bunny said. "That's-"

North finished for him. "Tessara, the Guardian of Faith."

Jack had a puzzled expression on his faith. "Wait-what? The Guardian of Faith? You mean she's already a guardian?"

"It's... complicated." Tooth answered for him.

The room was filled with silence as everyone stared at the girl in the crystal.

North broke the silence, as he looked up at MiM. "Are you sure?" He muttered.

"I'll bring her." Jack finally said.


	4. Chapter 3

_I'll go get her._

* * *

Tess smiled. The park was filled with children-playing, laughing, dancing in their lives. She could feel the little fires in their heart, burning, flaming as... but something was wrong.

The flame felt as if it was slowly dying, slowly decreasing. She could feel the smiles fade with empty sorrow. The feeling was horrible.

She kept out of the children's way, trying not to be passed through. The children passing through her... ghostly body made her feel empty. Tess stopped thinking about it and concentrated about the warmth that was left in their hearts.

"Hey."

She turned around slowly to see a pale teenage boy with a dark blue hood. He gripped a curved stick, a staff, in his hand and he smiled.

Tess narrowed her eyes as she tried to feel the fire in the boy's heart. But she couldn't see it. There was no fireplace at all. This boy wasn't normal... he wasn't a normal child. He was _immortal._

Tess stepped back as she realized what was happening.

"I'm not gonna hurt you." The boy tried to calm her. "I'm Jack Frost."

"The Guardian of Fun." Tess mused. "I suppose..."

Jack blinked. "How did you know?" He asked.

Tess smiled. "You're immortal." She replied simply. "You don't need a fireplace in your heart."

"A what?"

Tess waved the question aside. She smiled warmly. "So, what do you want from me?"

"To join the Guardians." Jack replied almost automatically. "Man in Moon chose you."

Tess wavered slightly but nodded. She looked at Jack, and for a moment, her eyes showed the emotion of hurt.

"No." She said.

Jack stepped back. "What?"

"I said, no. I'm not going to join the Guardians."

The trees rustled, and the Easter Bunny hopped out. He smirked, and stood beside Jack. "I knew this would happen." He muttered.

"Easter Bunny, go away." Tess mumbled dangerously. The air around her turned dangerously hot, and Jack stepped back. Fire burned on her hand.

"No." Bunny replied.

"What the-" Jack tried to cover the heat with frost and snow, but it all melted. The heat decreased, allowing the cold to overtake, but Tess kept glaring.

"I thought you didn't need me anymore." Tess said.

Jack looked at them, turning to see both of them talking, like a tennis match. He wasn't following the conversation, obviously.

"Whoa, what?" Jack muttered.

Bunny ignored him. "MiM thinks we need you, anyway."

Tess gazed up at the Moon, and glared. She looked back at Bunny.

"You can do this yourselves. _You're_ the Guardians."

"There's a reason you're the Guardian of _Faith_!" Bunny exclaimed.

Tessara stared at Bunny for a moment, then said, "Fine."


	5. Chapter 4

_Fine._

* * *

The lights on the globe dangerously flickered. Tooth looked worriedly at them.

A portal opened up in the room and three people came out.

"Tess!" Tooth cried. "I'm so glad-"

Tess looked away, not sure how to reply. The Guardian of Faith tried not to let her anger burst.

"Tessara, you are now a Guardian." North said.

"_Again._" Tess spat. She turned to look at the globe, then at the Moon. "Isn't this your problem?"

"It's yours, too." Bunny muttered. Tess glared at him.

Jack hesitated before saying, "Can someone please explain what's going on?"

Trying to help, Sandy slowly flicked images around-A Moon, a Girl, a Fire, a Heart...

"Sorry, Sandy." Jack said. "I still don't understand."

All eyes went to Tess.

"I never said I was a Guardian yet." Tess said. "But I'll explain."

Tess walked across the room, and sat by the window. She started to explain slowly about how she used to be a Guardian.

"I was the Guardian of Faith, keeping the children believing." Tess said. "And kept the fire going in their hearts."

"As she likes to say." Bunny muttered.

Jack stared at her. "Why aren't you a Guardian?" He asked.

Tess winced at the memory. "Well... soon the Guardians didn't need my help anymore, so I was..."

"No longer cared for?" Tooth pressed her lips together. "That's not what we think, Tess."

Tess couldn't glare at Tooth. She sighed and looked at the globe. The lights started to fade.

"Children are starting to lose faith in their Guardians." Tess murmured. She turned to the Guardians. "You better do something."

"Don't you think we know that?" Bunny said. "That's why we're asking you to be a Guardian."

Tess gazed at the globe. The lights went out... but five in one part in the world stayed glowing bright.

"I guess you know who-" She pointed to the five lights. "That is?"

"Jaime." Jack said. "My first believer."

Tessara nodded. "I've visited that place lots of times. The fire in the boy's heart is strong, it can spread."

"So aren't you gonna be a Guardian?" Bunny asked impatiently.

Tess turned and smiled to him. "I already am."


	6. Chapter 5

_I already am._

* * *

"What?"

Tess smiled. "I was never banished, Bunnymund. I simply... hid."

North nodded. Jack leaned on his staff.

Tooth opened her mouth to speak, but she froze.

The Guardians turned around to see black sand covering the globe. The five lights still glowed bright through the sand.

"Pitch." North growled. "You are back."

Everyone took out their weapons. Bunny had his boomerang in his hand, North with his duel swords, Jack with his staff, and Tess' hand glowing, burning bright with fire.

"I see." Pitch snarled. "Tessara, Guardian of Faith is back."

Tess growled. "I was never gone, Pitch." She said. "I was-"

"Forgotten by children." Pitch shouted. "Don't you think I know what it feels like?"

"Oh, go tell your sob story someone else." Bunny muttered under his breath.

Pitch grinned wickedly. "A Guardian of Faith cannot stop me." He said, still smirking. "Don't you know that?"

Then something scary happened. Pitch snapped his fingers and...

Tess stepped back, eyes full of fear. Her flames burned harder and she tried to stay balanced.

"Why would you-" Tess choked. "Why would you do that?"

Pitch grinned. "Oh, don't fear yet, Tessara." He said. "It is simply only an image."

"A memory." Tess snarled.

Without warning, Bunny's boomerangs shot at Pitch, but he was already gone in a puff of coldness.

"I'll get him for... that." Tess muttered. Her eyes sparkled with revenge.

"What happened, Tess?" Tooth asked gently.

Tess looked down worriedly. "Pitch can show someone their fear..." She mumbled.


	7. Chapter 6

_Pitch can show someone their fear..._

* * *

"What?" North exclaimed.

Jack stepped back, shocked. "You mean-"

"Yes." Tess replied. "He can stun or terrify their enemy."

"Then what do we do?"

Tess paused a moment before saying, "Show no fear."

A golden question mark of sand appeared on top of Sandy's head.

Tess smiled softly. "Don't show that you're afraid when he shows you your greatest fear." She repeated more clearly.

Suddenly, Tess gasped.

"What is it?" Tooth asked.

"I cannot believe this." Tess stood up and stared at Jack.

Finally, she said, "Jack, where's your staff?"

He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? It's right-"

When he gestured to his left hand, there was nothing.

His staff was gone.

"Jack's staff is gone?" North said in disbelief.

"My staff is gone." Jack repeated in utter shock. He flew around the room, searching for his staff as if he'd dropped it somewhere.

Tess looked at the globe and gaped at it.

The four sparks were gone.

The last one was flickering.

"Guardians, look." Tess gestured to the globe.

Jack gaped at the spark, unsure how to respond; to cry, to be mad...

"Pitch Black is trying to make Jaime not believe." Tess muttered gravely.

"What do we do?" Jack panicked.

"Save Jaime's fire." North answered.


End file.
